There are a number of “best practices” to follow when you are adopting a dog, whether you are working with a breeder, a rescue, or an animal shelter. While looking at a puppy or a cute young dog, it’s easy to get distracted by that warm fuzzy feeling (aka true love) and not remember to ask questions and do basic research.
Look into the dog’s background — and the background of the person or agency selling it. It will save you heartbreak, and prevent money from going to a sub-standard pet dealer.
When Wisconsin passed a dog breeder and seller licensing law in 2009 (which took effect in June 2011), it was seen as going a long way toward solving the problem of unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills in the state. Certain standards would have to be upheld. Inspections must be passed. But the fact that a seller has a license should not in itself be seen as an all-clear sign to the consumer.
“The main thing, whether you are going through a rescue, a humane society, [or a breeder], you want to know where the dog is coming from,” says Marissa DeGroot, public relations coordinator for the Dane County Humane Society. “Are they being transferred from out of state from another shelter? Where is that origin spot? Are they local dogs found as strays and have they stayed through their stray holding period?”
The other big question to ask, says DeGroot, is about veterinary care. Any state licensed breeder, rescue or shelter is required to have a dog CVI, which certifies that the dog is healthy, that a vet has medically cleared the animal, and that the seller is being upfront about the medical history. Ask to see the CVI and ask about the dog’s history of veterinary care. “You want to see their most recent vet records,” if possible, says DeGroot. “Are they up on their vaccinations?” If adopting an older dog, ask about “the type of care it is going to need going forward.”
Beware of meetings in “a random place or parking lot. You want to see where the dog has been living,” DeGroot says. “You can then verify that a dog is not coming from a bad situation or you are not supporting people who are not keeping dogs in good, healthy conditions.”
Again, just because a breeder or rescue has a license doesn’t mean the consumer can skip doing his homework. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection (DATCP) provides a helpful list of “Essential questions to ask before buying a dog of puppy” at its website.
The Wisconsin dog breeders and sellers law regulates breeders, rescues and shelters that sell 25 dogs or more a year. A seller might not have a license because he or she sells fewer than 25 dogs. Or a seller might not have a license because DATCP denied or revoked the license for cause.
A PDF list of all of Wisconsin’s licensed dog sellers is constantly updated at datcp.wi.gov. The first step is to check there. But there’s no list of sellers who have lost their licenses, or who have a history of poor inspections. There’s no way to tell if a seller has begun marketing fewer dogs, under the 25 limit, just to avoid inspections. The list fails to include the date that the state last inspected the facility or the number of dogs sold through it per year. Sometimes that number is much, much higher than 25.
Any information the consumer wants beyond the license itself must come through a public records request sent to datcppublicrecords@wisconsin.gov, according to DATCP spokesperson Chelsey Kelley. Consumers might ask for a copy of the seller’s most recent inspection, number of dogs sold per year, and any complaints recorded over the last year or two.
While this may seem like a big hoop to jump through, it’s not that hard. First, ask the seller for the information you want, including copies of its most recent inspections. If the information you want is not forthcoming (itself a warning sign), take that extra step yourself.
